MSI Thin 15 B13VE-1697CA 15.6" 144Hz Review

The MSI Thin 15 B13VE is a $700 laptop that makes some clear choices. It's built around the RTX 4050, which lands in the 73rd percentile for GPU performance. That's the headline. The rest of the package is more modest, with a 43rd percentile CPU, 32nd percentile RAM, and a 144Hz screen that's only in the 40th percentile for quality. At 1.9kg, it's fairly portable, sitting right at the 51st percentile for compactness. So, you're getting a solid gaming GPU in a thin-ish body, but you're making trade-offs elsewhere to hit that price point.

Let's talk about that RTX 4050. A 73rd percentile GPU at $700 is a legitimately good deal. It means you can comfortably play modern games at 1080p with decent settings, and that Ada architecture does bring DLSS 3 to the table for a nice frame rate boost. The CPU is the weaker link. The Intel 13420H is a 10-core chip, but it's in the 43rd percentile. It's fine for gaming and general tasks, but don't expect it to chew through heavy creative workloads. The 16GB of DDR4 RAM and 512GB SSD are baseline specs, ranking in the 32nd and 34th percentiles respectively. They'll get the job done, but you might feel the pinch if you're a tab hoarder or have a big game library.

At $700, the value proposition is straightforward: you're paying for the RTX 4050. Everything else is budget-tier. That's not necessarily a bad thing if your goal is 1080p gaming on a tight budget. You won't find many new laptops with a current-gen RTX GPU at this price. Just know that the savings come from areas like the lower-tier CPU, slower DDR4 RAM, and a basic SSD. It's a focused value play.

Compared to something like the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, you're giving up massive CPU power, a better screen, and premium build for less than half the price. The more interesting fight is against other budget options. This MSI's 73rd percentile GPU likely beats an RTX 3050 Ti or last-gen AMD offering in a similar price bracket. However, you might find a laptop with a better CPU (like a Ryzen 7) and a weaker GPU for the same money. It's a classic GPU-first vs. balanced-system choice. Against an ASUS Zenbook Duo, you're trading all gaming prowess for dual-screen productivity.

If you want the best 1080p gaming performance you can get for $700, this MSI Thin 15 is a compelling pick. The data backs it up: the 73rd percentile GPU is a standout. But, that focus comes with compromises. The 43rd percentile CPU and lower-tier RAM/storage mean it's a one-trick pony. It's a great budget gaming machine, but a mediocre everything-else machine. Recommended if your spreadsheet says 'frames per dollar' is the only column that matters.